INCOMING/OUTGOING: Friday Transfer Round Up

The one day most of the MLSR writers and editors decide to take an early weekend all hell breaks lose in the MLS transfer news and rumors area. So forgive us for being late with the lateness. We seriously deserve the Gasface. Ok you know what time it is! Enough with the 90s rap clichés.

This will serve as a master round up of todays transfer/trade news and rumors.



INCOMING: Carlos Will Mejia To DC United?

This rumor first surfaced in the Honduran press and was subsequently picked up by Stephen Goff at the Washington Post. The deal for the 24 year old midfielder would bring him to United on trial next week.




OUTGOING: Juan Toja to Steaua Bucharest (UPDATE), not a whole not new here OFFICIALLY to report to a rumor we first brought you two weeks ago other than an official statement from Toja. More in the Dallas

HOWEVER we received the following email which states it is pretty much a done deal:

Hi,

Like the site! It's always fun.

Here's more news for you. I work with a number of Romanians here in
Dallas, who rabidly follow all the moves with the Bucharest teams: Steaua,
Rapid, and (my fave) Dinamo.

We've been tracking the Toja-to-Steaua story over the past 2 weeks. Looks
like there's been a break-through. Becali, the Steaua owner, has agreed to
FCD's offer of $500K for Toja. Toja's agreed. Now it looks like we're
waiting for MLS.

Here's our blog post: http://www.los-toros.com/2008/07/17/good-bye-toja/

Here's the original source: http://www.gsp.ro/stire/e-toja-87585.html

Here's the translation (thanks to my colleague)


It's Toja! The player gave his approval, and Becali let the Americans know
[yesterday, meaning July 16, 2008] by FAX that he agrees with the $500K
price for a permanent transfer.

Who is the player that Gigi Becali has said at the end of the friendly
with Besiktas that "it will be the last transfer this summer for Steaua"?
Club sources revealed that it is the Colombian Toja, as our paper [Gazeta]
announced even two weeks ago.

Steaua will have eight foreigners on its team after bringing Toja, half
of them being from outside the EU: Zapata, Emeghara, Dayro, and Toja.

An exchange of FAXes followed between Ghencea and the Dallas clubs. The
Americans requested $500K for the footballer, and Gigi Becali requested time
to think. Then the asked the other Colombian players from Steaua, Zapata
and Moreno about Toja. The references were only the best and the 2 South
Americans told the bosses that it would be an excellent investment, so
Steaua sent the official offer to the U.S. In the next days, the papers
will be signed and Toja will arrive in Bucharest.

Just FYI:

-- Andy Hickl (a.k.a. SteveToro of Los-Toros.com)

OUTGOING: Kenny Cooper to Rosenborg BK. Steve Goff at the Post reports that Norwegian club is still interested in the FC Dallas forward and is willing to up their offer. As he stated: "One source believes a deal is in the works, while another said, "It's just a possibility, not a done deal yet." Messages left for his reps were not returned."

MLSR suspects Cooper will be gone before the closure of the transfer window.





OUTGOING: Abel Xavier Released by LA Galaxy.
According to these words from Alexi Lalas courtesy of Steve Goff.:

"In a statement to the Insider concerning departing defender Abel Xavier, Galaxy President Alexi Lalas said: "Abel has been a wonderful professional at our club and I want to personally thank him for coming to Los Angeles and being a part of the Galaxy family. We wish him continued success in what has already been a long and storied career. This was a difficult decision, but it was necessary."

So yes, Xavier is officially gone"

That town just was not big enough for both the brightly colored haired one and Argentine defender Eduardo Dominguez. The moment we got wind that Dominguez was going to sign we thought as much way back when we posted our first story on Dominguez.


TRADE: Carlos Ruiz to Red Bull New York for ???

Soccer by Ives states:

The New York Red Bulls quest to find a replacement for Jozy Altidore has led them to a player who just happens to be in town this weekend.

The Red Bulls are considering acquiring Guatamalan forward Carlos Ruiz from the Los Angeles Galaxy, sources within MLS have told SBI. The former MLS MVP is on the trade market as the Galaxy look to shed salary, and the Red Bulls could make room for Ruiz on their salary cap if they and the Galaxy can agree on terms (which would likely include the Galaxy paying a portion of Ruiz's salary).

TRADE: Franco Carracio to Red Bull New York for ???

According to the New York Post:

Craccio (sp) has played his last game in Dynamo orange, waived this afternoon by Houston. That's the kind of wait-it-out, low-risk move Osorio loves to make. (Anybody remember how long he waited out Rojas' former team, refusing to fork over the originial $2 million asking price in the winter window and eventually getting him on a free?)

Caraccio has shown a lot of skill in his debut season with the Dynamo, but not a lot of scoring. After coming off the bench in Houston's season-opener, he started the next eight straight league games, holding the ball well and notching two goals and an assist.

But after a 2-1 loss to San Jose on May 22, Caraccio fell out of favor. He failed to appear at all in six of their last seven league games, and even that cameo was as a sub. Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said with the return of Nate Jaqua, Caraccio got caught in a numbers game.